food safety management pack for retail businesses sfbbrpack

8/3/2019 Food Safety Management Pack for Retail Businesses Sfbbrpack

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How to use this pack

Welcome toSafer food, better business for retailers

Is this pack for me?This pack is for small retail businesses that sell food,

including any food that needs to be kept cold to keep

it safe, e.g. milk.

Retail businesses that sell any food must comply withfood law.

Do you sell food that needs to be kept cold to keep

it safe?

Yes No

If Yes, is your business one of these? (please tick)

Small convenience store

Confectioner, tobacconist and newsagent (CTN)

Health food shop

Delicatessen

Other give details:

This pack is not suitable for specialist retailers including

butchers, fishmongers and bakers.

If No (you do not sell any food that needs to be kept

cold) this pack could be more than you are required to

do by law. But you can still use the pack if you want to.

If you are not sure if this pack is suitable for your

business, contact the environmental health service

at your local authority.


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How does this pack help me comply withthe law?Food safety and hygiene regulations say that you must be

able to show what you do to make sure the food you sell

is safe to eat and have this written down. The pack helps

you do this.

This pack is based on the principles of HACCP (hazardanalysis critical control point), but you will not find words

such as HACCP or hazard in the pack because we have

cut out all the jargon.

What if I also do some preparation or cookingof food?The Cooking and preparation section in this pack is

designed for retail businesses that do certain types of

cooking and preparation.

Who should take charge of the pack?The person who is responsible for the day-to-day running

of the business is the best person to work through this

pack.

It is a good idea to involve other staff to help the pack

work in your business.

How does the pack work?The pack contains sheets for you to work through and

complete. These are called safe methods.

It also contains a diary for you to fill in every day andwrite down anything different that happens, including

anything that goes wrong.

Do you

prepare ready-to-eat foods, e.g. sandwiches?

bake off bought-in products e.g. sausage rolls

and pasties?

reheat food, or keep it hot, e.g. reheating

bought-in cooked pies?

cook bacon, sausages or eggs?

cook rotisserie chicken or ham?

If you do one or more of the above, you should work

through the relevant safe methods in the Cooking and

preparation section.

But if you do any cooking or preparation of food that

is not listed above, contact the environmental health

service at your local authority for advice.


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Safe method:

Personal hygieneIt is vital for staff to follow good personal hygienepractices to help prevent bacteria from spreading to food.

Why? How do you do this?Safety point

All staff must wear clean clothes

when handling food.

Ideally, staff handling unwrapped

food should put on a clean apron,

tabard or something similar over

their clothes.

Clothes can bring dirt and bacteria

into food handling areas. Wearing

clean clothes, aprons etc. helps

to prevent this (and gives a

good impression).

Describe your staffs work

clothes here:

Staff should not smoke, drink, eat

or chew gum while handling food.

Staff should also avoid touching

their face or nose, or coughing

and sneezing.

All of these lead to staff touching

their face or mouth. Harmful bacteria

can be spread from someones face

or mouth to their hands and then

onto food.

Are staff trained not to do these

things and supervised?

Yes No

Staff should always wash their hands:

before handling food

after breaks

after going to the toilet

after emptying bins

after cleaning

after handling raw meat/poultry

or eggs

after touching a cut or changing

a dressing

Handwashing is one of the best ways

to prevent harmful bacteria from

spreading onto food.

Do all staff know when they

should wash their hands?

Yes No

Staff should not wear watches orjewellery (apart from a wedding

band) when preparing food.

Watches and jewellery can collectand spread dirt and harmful bacteria,

or fall into food.

Do your staff take off watches andjewellery before preparing food?

Yes No

It is good practice

for staff to have

clean hair. They

should keep hair

tied back and/or

wear a suitable

head covering,

e.g. hat or hairnet, especially when

handling unwrapped food.

If hair is not tied

back or covered,

it is more likely

to fall into food

and staff are

more likely to

touch their hair.

This can spread bacteria to food,

especially if it is unwrapped.

Do your staff keep their hair tied

back or wear a head covering?

Yes No

The Safety point column highlights things that are

important to make food safely.

The How do you do this? column is for you to write

down what you do.

In some places you only need to tick a box and in

other places write a small amount.

Pictures help to illustrate the safety points.

The Why? column tells you why the safety point

is important.

How to use the safe methods Front

The How to stop this happening again column tells

you how you can prevent problems.

The What to do if things go wrong column gives

practical tips on how to tackle problems.

If things go wrong, write down what happened and

what you did in your diary. Each safe method reminds

you to do this.

Back

Sometimes the pictures are marked with one of these symbols: = right = wrong


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Week commencing:

MOND

AY A ny prob lems or changes what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks

Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Name__________________________

Extra checks

Signed__________________________

TUESDAY A ny prob lems or changes what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks


Name__________________________ Signed__________________________

WEDNESDAY A ny prob lems or changes what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks


Name__________________________ Signed__________________________

THURSDAY A ny probl em s o r cha nges what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks


Name__________________________ Signed__________________________

FRIDAY A ny probl em s o r cha nges what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks


Name__________________________ Signed__________________________

SATURDAY A ny probl em s o r cha nges what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks


Name__________________________ Signed__________________________

SUNDAY A ny probl em s o r cha nges what d id you do? Opening

checks

Closing

checks


Name__________________________ Signed__________________________

Fill in the date at the start of the week.

If anything different happens or something goeswrong, make a note of it under the appropriate day.

Each day, write your name and sign to say that all the

safe methods have been followed.

Each day, tick here to say you have completed your

Opening checks and your Closing checks see the

Management section for more information on these.

If you do any Extra checks, make a note next to the

appropriate day see the Management section for

more information on these.

How to use the diary

The diary should be filled in every day by the person responsible for running the business. There is also a 4-weekly

review so you can look back at previous weeks and identify any persistent problems.


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Questions

What do I do next?

How do I use the Working with food? factsheetand the DVD with the pack?

How will I benefit from using this pack?

Do I need to keep lots of daily records?

Where can I get more information?

Work through the pack one section at a time and

complete all the safe methods that are relevant to

your business.

When you have worked through all the sections,

make sure you and your staff:

follow the safe methods all the time

fill in the diary every day

Use the Working with food? factsheet to train your

staff on good personal hygiene on their first day at

work. It has been designed to help overcome

language difficulties.

The DVD will help you use the pack and train your

staff on it and there are 16 languages for you to

choose from. You do not have to work through the

DVD to use the pack in your business but it will help

you to do this.

If you would like to keep a record of any staff training

using the DVD, you can make a note of it on the

Staff training record in the diary.

Using the pack in your business will help you to:

comply with the law

show what you do to sell food that is safe to eat train staff

protect your businesss reputation

improve your business, e.g. by wasting less food

No, you do not need lots of daily records. Once you

have worked through the pack and completed all the

relevant safe methods, you only need to fill in the

diary each day.

This should take just one minute, unless you have

something special to write down.

It is a legal requirement to keep a record of what food

products you have bought, who you bought them

from, the quantity and the date. Usually the easiest

way to do this is to keep all your invoices and receipts.

For more information on food safety, talk to the

environmental health service at your local authority

or visit food.gov.uk/retail

For details of other Food Standards Agencypublications, visit food.gov.uk or call the

FSA Publications line on 0845 606 0667.


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About this guidance

This guidance follows the Government Code of Practice on Guidance. If you believe this guidance breaches the

Code for any reason, or if you have any comments on the guidance, please contact us at

[email protected]

This guidance was originally published in September 2005. The most recent update is November 2009 and it will be

reviewed again in March 2012.

Copyright

The material featured in this publication is subject to Crown copyright protection unless otherwise indicated.

You may re-use the information in the SFBB pack (not including the Food Standards Agency logos and photographs

that are the copyright of a third party) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open

Government Licence at: nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/

This is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must

be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the source identified as the Food Standards Agency.

Any enquiries regarding the use and re-use of this information resource should be emailed to:[email protected]

Or you can write to:

Information Policy Team

The National Archives

Kew

London

TW9 4DU

The permission to reproduce Crown protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is

the copyright of a third party. Authorisation to reproduce such material must be obtained from the copyright

holders concerned. Please note that some of the images in this resource are third party copyright, therefore you do

not have permission to re-use them.

Note that the Agency has produced supporting guidance about the use and re-use of SFBB, which can be found at:

food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/guidancelaadaptingsfbb.pdf


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Chilling

Cleaning

Management

Cooking and preparation

Diary

Diary

Cross-contamination


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Cross-contamination


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RCC1/02-08

Cross-contaminationCross-contamination is one of the most common causes of

food poisoning. It happens when harmful bacteria are spread

onto food from other food, surfaces, hands or equipment.

This harmful bacteria often comes from raw foods

originally, especially raw meat and eggs. Even if you do not

prepare any raw meat and eggs in your business, remember

that bacteria can spread from leaking packages of meat, or

from broken eggs.

Other sources of bacteria can include: pests

packaging

equipment (see the Cleaning section)

staff (see the Personal hygiene safe method in the

Cleaning section)

Dont forget that you should also protect food from

physical contamination (where objects get into food,

e.g. broken glass or pieces of packaging) and chemicalcontamination (where chemicals get into food e.g. cleaning

products or pest control chemicals).


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Why?Safety point

Maintenance

Repair structural damage as

soon as it happens, e.g. holes

in walls or windows.

Repair or replace any

equipment or utensils that are

damaged or have loose parts.

Make sure your chilled and

frozen display and storage

equipment is well maintained

and working properly.

Temperature probes should be

checked regularly to make sure

their readings are accurate.

Physical and chemical

contamination

Protect unwrapped food by

covering it or keeping it in

suitable display equipment.It is not necessary to provide

covers for unwrapped whole

fruit or vegetables.

Always clear and clean as you

go and take care to throw away

packaging, string etc.

as soon as you remove it.

Structural damage can make your

premises harder to clean and allow

pests to enter.

Dirt and harmful bacteria can collect in damaged equipment or utensils.

Loose parts may fall into food.

If it does not work properly, food may not be kept cold enough.

If your probe is not accurate, then it will

not give a reliable measure of whether

food is at a safe temperature. (See the

Prove it chilled and frozen storage

safe method in the Management

section.)

This helps to protect the food from:

objects falling into the food e.g. hairs

people touching the food or sneezingor coughing over it

pests such as flies

Keeping surfaces clear and clean will

help prevent objects getting into food,

as well as preventing the spread

of bacteria.

Safe method:

Good housekeepingGood housekeeping involves maintaining your premises

effectively and keeping them clean, tidy and pest-free. It also

includes preventing physical and chemical contamination of food.


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How to stop this happening againWhat to do if things go wrong

If you think that equipment might not be working

properly, check it straight away. Do not wait until it

has broken down. Check that staff are using the

equipment properly.

Look at the manufacturers instructions to see if

there is a troubleshooting section.

Contact the equipment manufacturer or your

maintenance contractor, if you have one. If chemicals get into food then you must throw

that food away.

If you find pests or signs of pests, take action

immediately. (See the Pest control safe method.)

Make your maintenance checks more frequent.

Encourage staff to report any structural damage or

problems with equipment, so you know about

problems early.

Review how you use and store chemicals in

your business.

Review your pest control arrangements.

Train staff again on this safe method.

Improve staff supervision.

Manage it Put problems right as soon as possible, before they get worse or affect food safety. Make a note in your diary of

what you do.

Put reminders in your diary of maintenance checks. Make a note of any repairs you make.

RCC2/02-08

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.Diary Diary

Why?Safety point

Follow the manufacturers

instructions on how to use and

store cleaning chemicals.

Store cleaning chemicals

separately from food and make

sure they are clearly labelled.

Make sure you control pests

effectively. (See the Pest

control safe method.)

Make sure that any chemicals

you use to control pests are

used and stored in the correct

way and clearly labelled.

This is to prevent these chemicals getting into food.

This is to prevent bacteria from spreading and stop damage to food

e.g. gnawed packets.

This is to prevent these chemicals getting into food.


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Type of pest Signs of pests

Safe method:

Pest controlEffective pest control is essential to keep pests out of your

premises and prevent them from spreading harmful bacteria.


Check your premises regularly

for signs of pests.

Check deliveries thoroughly for

signs of pests. Do not accept a

delivery if it shows signs of pests.

Ideally, organise your stock room

to leave gaps to allow cleaning andpest checks to take place.

Keep external areas tidy and free

from weeds. Make sure bins have

close-fitting lids and are easy to

clean.

Pests carry harmful bacteria.

Pests could come into your

premises in a delivery.

If stock is stacked against walls and

pushed into corners, without anygaps, this makes it harder to clean

effectively and check for pests.

Weeds and rubbish can attract

pests and provide them with food

and shelter.

Checking for signs of pests is one of

the checks you should do every day.

See the Opening and closing checks

safe method in the Management

section.

One option is to employ a pest

control contractor. See the Suppliers

and contractors safe method in the

Management section.

How do you check deliveries?

How do you organise your stock

room?

How often do you check

external areas?

Rats and mice

Flies and flying insects e.g. moths

Small footprints in dust, droppings,

holes in walls and doors, nests,

gnawed goods or packaging, grease

or smear marks, urine stains on

food packaging

Bodies of insects, live insects, webbing,

nests, droning or buzzing, maggots


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If you see signs of a pest infestation, call a pest

contractor immediately. Write the contact details for

your pest contractor on the Contacts list in the diary.

If you think any equipment or surfaces have been

touched by pests, they should be washed, disinfected

and dried to stop harmful bacteria from spreading.

If you think food has been touched by pests in any

way, throw it away.

Make your pest checks more frequent.

Improve staff training on recognising signs of pests

and encourage them to report problems immediately.

If you have persistent problems with pests, consider

employing a pest contractor, if you do not have

one already.

Manage it

Make sure that checks for pests are carried out regularly.

Put reminders of when to check for pests in your diary.

If you have a pest contractor, keep a record of their contact details and visits in your diary, as well as any

feedback or action points they recommend. Make a note of when you have carried these out.

Type of pest Signs of pests

Cockroaches

Ants

Birds

Beetles and weevils

Eggs and egg cases, moulted skins,

the insects themselves, droppings

Small piles of sand or soil, the insectsthemselves, flying ants on hot days

Feathers, droppings, nests, noise,

the birds themselves

Moving insects, particularly in

dry food, small maggots

Never let pest control bait/chemicals, including sprays, come into contact with food, packaging, equipment or

surfaces, because they are likely to be poisonous to people.

Think twice!

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary. DiaryDiary

RCC1/02-08


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Cleaning


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RCL1/02-08

CleaningEffective cleaning is essential to get rid of harmful bacteria

and stop it spreading to food.

This section tells you about personal hygiene, cleaning

effectively and developing a cleaning schedule.


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Safe method:

Personal hygieneIt is vital for staff to follow good personal hygiene

practices to help prevent bacteria from spreading to food.


All staff must wear clean clothes

when handling food.

Ideally, staff handling unwrapped

food should put on a clean apron,

tabard or something similar over

their clothes.

Clothes can bring dirt and bacteria

into food handling areas. Wearing

clean clothes, aprons etc. helps

to prevent this (and gives a

good impression).

Describe your staffs work

clothes here:

Staff should not smoke, drink, eat

or chew gum while handling food.

Staff should also avoid touching

their face or nose, or coughing

and sneezing.

All of these lead to staff touching

their face or mouth. Harmful bacteria

can be spread from someones face

or mouth to their hands and then

onto food.

Are staff trained not to do these

things and supervised?

Yes No

Staff should always wash their hands:

before handling food

after breaks

after going to the toilet

after emptying bins

after cleaning

after handling raw meat/poultry

or eggs

after touching a cut or changing

a dressing

Handwashing is one of the best ways

to prevent harmful bacteria from

spreading onto food.

Do all staff know when they

should wash their hands?

Yes No

Staff should not wear watches or

jewellery (apart from a wedding

band) when preparing food.

Watches and jewellery can collect

and spread dirt and harmful bacteria,

or fall into food.

Do your staff take off watches and

jewellery before preparing food?

Yes No

It is good practice

for staff to have

clean hair and to

keep it tied back

and/or wear a

suitable head

covering,e.g. hat or hairnet, especially when

handling unwrapped food.

If hair is not tied

back or covered,

it is more likely

to fall into food

and staff are

more likely to

touch their hair.This can spread bacteria to food,

especially if it is unwrapped.

Do your staff keep their hair tied

back or wear a head covering?

Yes No


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Washing hands effectively

Step 1:

Wet your hands thoroughly

under warm running water

and squirt liquid soap onto

the palm of one hand.

Step 4:

Rub in between each of

your fingers on both hands

and round your thumbs,

then your fingertips and

nails.

Step 2:

Rub your hands together

to make a lather.

Step 5:

Rinse off the soap with

clean water.

Step 3:

Rub the palm of one hand

along the back of the other

and along the fingers. Thenrepeat with the other hand.

Step 6:

Dry hands thoroughly on a

disposable towel. Turn off

the tap with the towel andthen throw the towel away.

Why?Safety point

Staff should be fit for work at all times. This means

that they must not be suffering from, or carrying, an

illness or disease that could cause a problem with

food safety.

Anyone not fit for work should not be allowed into

areas where unwrapped food is handled.

Any member of staff who has diarrhoea and/or

vomiting should report it to their manager immediately.

Staff who have had diarrhoea and/or vomiting should

not return to work until they have had no symptoms for

48 hours.

Staff should tell their manager if they have any cuts or

sores and these should be completely covered with abrightly coloured waterproof dressing.

People who are not fit for work could spread harmful

bacteria to food.

People suffering from these symptoms often carry

harmful bacteria on their hands and can spread them

to food or equipment they touch.

Even if the diarrhoea and vomiting has stopped,

someone can still carry harmful bacteria for 48 hours

afterwards.

Cuts and sores can carry harmful bacteria. Covering

them prevents bacteria spreading to food.

Fitness for work



If you think a member of staff has not washed their

hands, make sure they wash them straight away.

If staff are not fit for work, move them out of food

handling areas or send them home. Throw away any

unwrapped foods they have handled.

Make sure that hand basins are convenient with

plenty of soap and disposable towels.

Improve staff training in personal hygiene practices.


RCL1/11-09


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Why?Safety point

Follow the manufacturers instructions

on how to use cleaning chemicals.

If you have manufacturers cleaning

instructions for a piece of equipment,

follow these.

Try to keep your shop clean and tidy

all the time, e.g. mop up spills as soon

as they happen and throw away

packaging immediately.

Clean the floors, counters and storage

areas etc. regularly.

Clean fridges regularly. Ideally, transfer

food to another fridge or a clean cold

area while you are doing this.

This is important to make sure that chemicals work effectively.

The instructions will tell you how to

clean this particular piece of equipment

thoroughly.

If you do this, it is much quicker and

easier to keep your shop clean.

This prevents dirt and bacteria building

up in your shop.

Putting food in another fridge is the

best way of keeping it cold. If this is

not possible, keep the food out of the

fridge for the shortest time possible.

If food is left out at room temperature

bacteria could grow.

Regularly wash/wipe and disinfect all

the items people touch frequently,

such as counters, sinks, taps, doorhandles, utensils and switches.

Where possible, allow these to dry

naturally at the end of each day/shift.

Ideally, use single-use disposable

cloths and throw them away after

each task.

If using re-usable cloths, make sure

they are thoroughly washed,disinfected and dried between tasks

(not just when they look dirty). Ideally,

wash cloths in a washing machine on a

hot cycle.

It is important to keep these clean to

prevent dirt and bacteria being spread

to peoples hands, and then from theirhands to food or other areas.

Drying naturally helps prevent bacteria

being spread back to these items on a

towel/cloth used for drying.

This will make sure that any bacteria Do you use single-use cloths?

picked up by the cloth will not be Yes No

spread to other areas. If no, how do you clean

your cloths?

Using dirty cloths can spread bacteria

very easily.

A hot wash cycle will clean cloths

thoroughly and kill bacteria (disinfect).

Safe method:

Cleaning effectivelyEffective cleaning is essential to get rid of

harmful bacteria and stop them spreading.

If you sell unwrapped food


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Why? How do you do this?Manage it

Fill out the cleaning schedule in the

diary to show how you manage

cleaning in your business.

Make sure you always have a good

supply of cleaning chemicals,

materials and equipment. It can be

helpful to put a reminder in your

diary of when you should buy more.

This is to make sure that staff

know what to clean, when

and how.

Staff are less likely to clean

properly if the right cleaning

chemicals, materials and

equipment are not available.

Have you completed the cleaning

schedule from the diary?

Yes No

If no, are you using another cleaning

schedule?

Yes No

Chemicals, materials, equipment

used:

Why?Safety point

Clean, disinfect and dry all

equipment thoroughly. If possible,

use a dishwasher.

Keeping equipment clean and disinfected helps to stop bacteria

spreading to food.

Think twice!

Remember to move unwrapped food out of the way, or cover it, when you are cleaning. This is to prevent dirt,

bacteria or cleaning chemicals from getting onto food.

RCL2/02-08


If you find areas in your shop that are not clean,

clean them as soon as possible.

If you sell unwrapped foods:

If you notice a dirty cloth in areas where unwrapped

food is handled, remove it for cleaning immediately

or throw it away. If work surfaces, equipment etc. or other items that

may touch unwrapped food are not properly clean, or

have been touched by a dirty cloth, wash and disinfect

them and allow them to dry naturally.

If unwrapped food has been touched by work surfaces,

equipment, cloths etc. that are not properly clean,

throw the food away.

Review your cleaning procedures, including how you

clean and how often.

Make sure your cleaning chemicals, materials and

equipment are suitable for the tasks you use them

for and are being used correctly.

Improve staff training in cleaning methods. Improve staff supervision.

Consider using single-use cloths if you are not using

them already.



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What to do

How do you do this?Safety point

Walk through your premises and

make a list of everything that

needs cleaning. This will depend

on what you do in your business.

Some items should be cleaned more

frequently than others and some

should also be disinfected. You do

not need to disinfect everything

concentrate on those items that will

be touched by food (especially if the

food is unwrapped) and frequently

touched items such as door handles.

You will also need to disinfect

surfaces or items that have been

touched by raw meat/poultry or

eggs, or leaks or spills from these.

See the back of this sheet forinformation on cleaning terms.

For each item, or group of items, write

down what you do on your cleaning

schedule.

Review your schedule regularly and

check that all the cleaning is being

done properly.

You may find it helpful to go through the following examples:

Items that need cleaning

Checkouts/tills

Counter tops

Shelving

Floors, walls, ceilings

Chilled and frozen storage and display equipment (which may need

defrosting)

Storage areas

Waste areas and drains

Staff areas including toilets

Sinks and soap dispensers

Equipment with moving parts e.g. coffee machines

Items that need cleaning and disinfecting

Items that come into contact with food

Work surfaces

Food display trays

Equipment e.g. serving tongs, soft ice-cream machines

Frequently touched items

Re-usable cloths

Rubbish bins, broom and mop handles

Door handles, taps, switches and controls

Telephones

Include details on:

How you clean the item(s)

What chemicals you use and how to use them

What equipment you use How often you clean the item(s)

Train staff on the cleaning schedule, so they know what they have to do,and when. Supervise cleaning.

Safe method:

Your cleaning scheduleA cleaning schedule is a useful tool to help

you clean effectively in your business.

You can use the cleaning schedule supplied in the diary to write down how you clean in your business. This safemethod should help you do this.

Alternatively, you may already have a cleaning schedule. If so, you can continue to use it, but it is a good idea tolook at this safe method and review your schedule to make sure that it covers the same things.

It is important to write down how you do your cleaning, so you can show what you do. It is also useful for staffto be able to check how they should clean things, so you may wish to put your cleaning schedule on the wall.


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EXAMPLE

Item

Floors

Chilledstorage

Dry goods

shelving

Work

surface

Frequency of cleaning

Daily

Wee

kly

Otherspecify

Example of a cleaning schedule

Cleaning terms

DetergentA chemical (e.g. washing-up liquid) used to remove grease, dirtand food. Used for general cleaning.

DisinfectantA chemical used for disinfecting, which kills bacteria.

Check that surfaces are clean of grease, dirt and foodbefore you use a disinfectant.

SanitiserA two-in-one product that acts as a detergent and adisinfectant. If you use a sanitiser, make sure youfollow the manufacturers instructions.

Dilution rateMost cleaning chemicals are concentrated, so you need toadd water to dilute them before they can be used. It isimportant to follow the manufacturers instructions on howmuch water to use with the chemical. This is the dilutionrate. If you add too much or too little water, then the

cleaning chemical might not work effectively.

Contact timeThis is how long a cleaning chemical needs to be left onthe item you are cleaning. It is important to follow themanufacturers instructions on contact time for thechemical to work effectively.

Afteruse

Mon

thly

Safety

precautions,

e.g. wear gloves

or goggles

Wear gloves

Wear gloves

Wear gloves

Method of cleaning

1. Sweep the floor, including under equipment, toremove any obvious dirt.

2. Wash the floor thoroughly using a mop and bucketand hot soapy water (detergent diluted accordingto manufacturers instructions).

1. Remove products.

2. Clean surface using hot soapy water (detergentdiluted according to manufacturers instructions).

3. Rinse with clean water.

4. Dry with a clean cloth, ideally a disposable one.

5. Put products back put those with the closestuse by dates at the front.

1. Remove products.

2. Clean surface using hot soapy water (detergentdiluted according to manufacturers instructions).

3. Rinse with clean water.

4. Dry with a clean cloth, ideally a disposable one.

5. Put products back put those with the closestbest before dates at the front.

1. Remove any obvious food and dirt.

2. Wash the surface with hot soapy water (detergentdiluted according to manufacturers instructions)to remove grease and any other food and dirt.

3. Rinse with clean water to remove the detergentand loosened food and dirt.

4. Apply a disinfectant. Make sure you leave it on forthe contact time recommended by the manufacturer.

5. Rinse with clean water to remove the disinfectant.

6. Leave to dry naturally or use a clean disposable cloth.

RCL3/02-08

X

X

X

X


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Chilling


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RCH1/02-08

ChillingChilling food properly helps to stop harmful bacteria

from growing.

Some foods need to be kept chilled to keep them safe,

such as milk, cooked meat, ready meals, desserts, food with

a use by date and food that says keep refrigerated on the

label.

This section tells you about storing and displaying both

chilled and frozen food.


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Safe method:

Chilled storage and displayIt is important to chill food properly to stop

harmful bacteria growing.


Certain foods need to be kept chilled

to keep them safe e.g.

food with a use by date

food that says keep refrigerated

on the label

If these types of food are not

kept cold enough, harmful bacteria

could grow.

You must remove food from sale

when it passes its use by date.

Ideally, foods marked with a best

before or best before end date

should be removed from sale by

the end of that day.

See the Stock control safe method

in the Management section for more

information on dates on food.

It is illegal to sell food after its

use by date. It might not be safe

to eat.

When a food has passed its best

before date it might not be as

good to eat, e.g. the taste or

texture could change.

How do you keep track of when food

should be removed from sale?

Follow the manufacturersinstructions on how to position,

use and maintain chilling equipment.

It is important to use equipmentproperly to make sure food is

kept cold enough.

Poor positioning of equipment,

e.g. next to doors, heaters or

in direct sunlight, may stop it

working effectively.

Do you follow the manufacturersinstructions for using your chilled

display and storage equipment?

Yes If not, what do you do?

Put chilled food in a fridge or other

suitable equipment as soon as it is

delivered.

If chilled food gets too warm,

harmful bacteria could grow.

Is chilled food put in a fridge or

chilled display unit as soon as it

is delivered?

Yes No

If not, what do you do?


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How do you do this?Check it

It is recommended that fridges and

chilled display equipment should be

set at 5C or below.

This is to make sure that chilled food

is kept at 8C or below. This is a legal

requirement in England, Wales andNorthern Ireland.

In Scotland, the regulations do not

set a specific temperature for cold

food, but foods that need to be

chilled should be kept in the fridge

or other chilling equipment.

You should check the temperature

of your fridges and chilled display

equipment at least once a day

starting with your opening checks(see the Management section).

Some equipment will have a digital display or dial to show what temperature

it is set at. You can use this to check the temperature of your equipment.

If you do this, you should check regularly that the temperature shown on

the display/dial is accurate using a fridge thermometer. You could also use

a probe (see the Prove it chilled and frozen storage safe method in the

Management section).

How do you check the temperature of chilling equipment?

Fridge: Digital display/dial Thermometer

Chilled display unit: Digital display/dial Thermometer

If you do not do this, what do you do?


RCH1/02-08

Why?Safety point

Make sure equipment is at the

correct temperature before you put

chilled food in it. See the Check it

section below.

Products should be displayed in a

way that allows air to circulate andnot above load lines.

If you overfill equipment and food is above load lines it might not be

kept cold enough.

Store and display wrapped raw

meat/poultry separately from

other foods.

This helps to prevent harmful bacteria spreading from raw foods to

ready-to-eat foods, which could happen for example if a pack is leaking.

If your fridge or chilled display equipment breaks

down, use other equipment, or move the food to a

cold area.

If you cannot do this, contact the environmental health

service at your local authority.

See what you can do to store and display chilled food

more safely, using the front of this sheet.

Have equipment serviced regularly and check that it

is working properly as part of your opening checks.

Improve staff training on this safe method.


Remember, if a customer decides not to buy a chilled or frozen product, you should put it back into chilled or

frozen equipment straight away.

Check regularly if any chilled or frozen foods have been left in the wrong place by customers. If you are not sure

how long a food has been out of chilled or frozen equipment, throw it away.

Think twice!


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Safe method:

Frozen storage and displayIt is important to handle, store and display frozen food

safely to stop harmful bacteria growing.



instructions on how to position, use

and maintain freezing equipment.

It is important to use equipment

properly to make sure food is kept

cold enough.

The positioning of equipment

e.g. next to doors, heaters or

in direct sunlight may stop it

working effectively.

Do you follow the manufacturers

instructions for using your frozen

display and storage equipment?

Yes No


Put frozen food in a freezer as soon

as it is delivered.

If frozen food starts to defrost,

harmful bacteria could grow.

Is frozen food put in a freezer or

frozen display unit as soon as it

is delivered?

Yes No


Make sure equipment is at the

correct temperature before you put

frozen food in it. See the Check itsection on the back of this sheet.

Products should be displayed in a

way that allows air to circulate and

not above load lines.

If you overfill equipment and food

is above load lines it might not be

kept cold enough.

Ideally, foods marked with a best

before or best before end date

should be removed from sale by the

end of that day.

When a food has passed its best

before date it might not be as

good to eat for example the

taste or texture could change.

How do you keep track of when food

should be removed from sale?


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How do you do this?Check it

It is good practice to keep frozen

food at -18C or colder. (Foods

labelled Quick frozen must be

stored at -18C or colder, or

displayed at -12C or colder.)

You should check the temperatureof your frozen equipment at least

once a day starting with your

opening checks (see the diary).

Some equipment will have a digital display or dial to show what temperature

it is set at. You can use this to check the temperature of your equipment.

If you do this, you should check regularly that the temperature shown on

the display/dial is accurate, using a freezer thermometer. You could also

use a probe (see the Prove it chilled and frozen storage safe method

in the Management section).

How do you check the temperature of freezing equipment?

Digital display/dial Thermometer

If you do not do this, what do you do?


RCH2/02-08

If you find that your freezer or frozen display unit is not

working properly, you should do the following things:

1. Food that is still frozen (i.e. hard and icy) should be

moved to an alternative freezer straight away.

2. Food that has begun to defrost (i.e. starting to get

soft and/or with liquid coming out of it) should be

thrown away unless it is intended to be sold defrosted,

in which case move it to a suitable place to continue

defrosting. Always follow the manufacturers

defrosting instructions.

3. Food that has fully defrosted (i.e. soft and warm)

should be thrown away, unless it is a product designed

to be defrosted by you and then sold to the customer

at room temperature (or ambient) e.g. thaw and serve

products such as muffins.

4. Do not sell food that is intended to be sold frozen if

it has defrosted, or started to defrost. Do not refreeze

food once it has started to defrost, e.g. ice cream

you will have to throw it away.

See what you can do to store and display frozen food

more safely, using the front of this sheet.

Have equipment serviced regularly and check that it

is working properly as part of your opening checks.

Re-organise freezers so there is more space and

make sure they are kept closed as much as possible.

Improve staff training on this safe method.



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Management


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RMAN1/02-08

ManagementManaging your business effectively is vital for food safety.

This section contains information on different management

issues, including checks to do when you open and close,

suppliers and contractors, stock control, and training and

supervising staff.

The Management section should be used alongside the

diary, which should be signed every day by the person

responsible for running the business.


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Opening checks

Safe method:

Opening and closing checksIt is essential that you and your staff do certain checks every timeyou open and close. This helps you maintain the basic standardsyou need to make sure that your business manages food safety.

You should do these checks at the beginning of the day. You can also add your own checks to the list.

Your chilled display equipment, fridges and freezers are working properly.

Staff are fit for work and wearing clean work clothes.

There are plenty of handwashing and cleaning materials (soap, paper towels, cloths etc.)

Check for signs of pests.

Surfaces are clean (counter tops, floors, equipment etc.)

The shop is fit to trade, i.e. clean and tidy, shelves stocked up etc.

Closing checks

You should do these checks at the end of the day. You can also add your own checks to the list.

Foods that have passed their use by date, or any damaged or unfit (e.g. mouldy) foods, have been removed

from sale.

Foods removed from sale have been disposed of correctly or placed in a special area if being returned to

a supplier.

No unwrapped food is left out.

Waste has been removed and new bags put into the bins.

The opening and closing checks are also listed in the diary.


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Deep clean

(example)

Deep clean

Maintenance

Temperatureprobe

Date checks

and stockrotation forbest beforecodedproducts

Pest controlcheck

Some of the safe methods in the rest of the pack advise you to check certain things regularly.These are less frequent than the daily opening and closing checks. You might find it helpful tohave all these checks written down in one place.

In the table below there are examples of some extra checks. Write down the details of extrachecks that you do and how often you do them. You can add other checks below.

When you carry out extra checks, do not forget to make a note of them in the diary.

Deep clean display and storage areas

and outside waste areas, including walls,

ceilings, and vents.

What to doClean behind equipment,dry goods shelving, walls,

ceilings, vents, outside wasteareas etc.

e.g. clean behind equipment,

dry goods shelving, walls,ceilings, vents, outside waste

areas etc.

e.g. freezers defrosted

If you use a probe, check

regularly that it is accurate.

e.g. check tins, jars, boxes

etc. Remember, eggs mustbe sold seven days before

the best before date.

e.g. look for signs of damage

to walls, doors etc. thatcould let in pests, and

signs of pests.

How often?Every 6 weeks usually

on a Thursday

Details of check

RMAN1/02-08

Safe method:

Extra checksCarrying out extra checks regularly helps you

make sure your safe methods are being followed.


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What to do How to do itSafe method

Safe method:

Prove it chilled and frozen storageSometimes you might want to use a probe as a one-off testto prove that your chilled or frozen storage method is safe.

Chilled and frozen

storage and display

The Chilled storage and display and

Frozen storage and display safe methods

in the Chilling section tell you how to keep

chilled and frozen food safely.

It is recommended that fridges and chilled

display equipment should be set at 5C

or below.

This is to make sure that chilled food is

kept at 8C or below. This is a legal

requirement in England, Wales and

Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the

regulations do not set a specific

temperature for cold food, but foods that

need to be chilled should be kept in the

fridge or other chilling equipment.

It is good practice to keep frozen food at-18C or colder. (Foods labelled Quick

frozen must be stored at -18C or colder,

or displayed at -12C or colder.)

To check that food is at 8C or below, you

could:

insert a needle probe so that the tip

is in the centre of the food (or the

thickest part). When you use this type

of probe to test packaged products,

they will have to be removed fromsale and thrown away, because the

packaging will be damaged

To check the air temperature in your

fridge, freezer or display unit you could:

place an air probe or needle probe

inside the equipment

How to use the probeProbe type

Insert the probe into the centre of the food. Wait a few seconds for the display to

stabilise before taking a reading.

Place the tip of an air probe inside equipment. Wait for the display to stabilise before

taking a reading.

Using temperature probes


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Looking after your probe

Checking your probe

It is essential to know that your probe is working properly, so you can rely on its readings. You should check it

regularly. The manufacturers instructions should include details of how often a probe needs to be checked and how

to tell if it is accurate.

A simple way to check a digital probe is to put it in iced water:

The readings in iced water should be between -1C and 1C.

If the reading is outside this range, you should replace your probe or return it to the manufacturer to be calibrated.

It is important to keep your probe clean, otherwise it could spread dirt and harmful bacteria to the food you are

testing. When a probe has been inserted into food, clean it with hot water and detergent.

You need to look after your probe to prevent it from getting damaged and help keep it working properly.

Do not leave a probe inside your fridge or freezer. When you are not using it, store it safely, away from extreme

temperatures and liquids. Keep the probe in its case, if it has one. Avoid banging or dropping your probe. If the

battery is low, replace it immediately.

RMAN2/02-08

Temperature reading DateEquipment e.g. dairy cabinet

If you decide to use a probe to prove that your chilled or frozen storage method is safe, you can write the details

below. You only need to do this as a one-off check.

Prove it records


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What to do if things go wrong

Why?What to do

Safe method:

Suppliers and contractorsHow you handle suppliers and contractors

is important to food safety.

Choose suppliers

carefully.

Choose contractorscarefully.

It is important to use suppliers that

supply and handle food safely, as well

as delivering on time etc.

Services such as pest control can bevaluable to help you make sure food

is safe to sell. It is important to have

contractors you can trust to deliver

these services effectively.

How do you do this?

Make sure you choose suppliers you can trust.

Ask the following questions:

Does the supplier store, transport and pack

their goods in a hygienic way?

Does the supplier/contractor provide

fully referenced invoices/receipts?

Do they have any certification orquality assurance?

How quickly do they respond to

your concerns?

Ask other businesses for recommendations.

Make sure that your

goods have been

handled safely.

The starting point for making sure

food is safe is being confident about

the safety of the products you buy in.

Check that the supplier has a food safety

management system.

Carry out regular delivery time, temperature

and quality spot checks (see the Stock

control safe method). Write the details of your suppliers in

your diary.

If you buy goods from a cash and carry, make

sure that the vehicle you use to transport

them is clean and that you bring chilled and

frozen food back as soon as possible and put

it straight into a fridge or freezer.

Make sure your

equipment works

effectively.

To allow you to make sure food is

safe to sell, it is very important that

equipment, such as display fridges,works effectively.

Buy equipment from reputable dealers.

Make sure it has a guarantee/warranty.

Ask for advice from other retailers or a

trade association.

If you do not think that the food a supplier delivers has been handled safely (for example, if you think it hasnot been kept cold enough) reject the delivery, if possible, and contact your supplier immediately. If you haveproblems with any suppliers or contractors, record your concerns in the diary. If you have repeated problems,you can do the following things, depending on how serious the problem is and the response you get:

1. Contact the supplier/contractor by phone.

2. Write a formal letter of complaint.

3. Change supplier/contractor.

4. Contact your local authority.


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Safe method:

Stock controlEffective stock control is an important

part of managing food safety.

Why?Safety point

Review your sales and

estimate how much of

each product you need

to keep in stock.

Working through this allows you to

plan for your specific needs.

How do you do this?

Review your sales regularly and how it

affects your need for stock.

Plan ahead to make

sure you have the right

amount of stock and

order carefully.

Not having too much stock is best for

food safety and your profits.

Plan the stock you need to last until the

next delivery.

Do a stock check before placing an order.

Check all stock when it

is delivered to make

sure that:

it is within its use by

date and there is

enough time to

enable it to be

sold by this date it has been kept

cold enough

it has not gone off

the stock is clean and

not damaged, e.g.

throw away any

punctured vacuum

packs, swollen packs

or badly dented cans

and check that topsare secure on bottles

and jars and seals

are unbroken

These checks are all to make sure that

food is safe to sell.

Damaged packaging could mean that

food will not be safe to eat.

Swollen or blown packs can be a

sign that bacteria have grown in food

or drinks.

If bottles or jars have been opened,

or if seals have been broken, the food

or drink might not be safe to eat.

Train your staff in what to look for when

checking deliveries.

How do you check deliveries?

Have a written agreement with your supplier

about your delivery requirements.

Carry out spot checks on the deliveries

yourself.

Use the diary to record any issues or

problems with deliveries e.g. packs of the

same product are delivered together but

have different use by or best before dates.

Date codes what they mean

Use by means exactly that. You should not sell any food or drink after the end of the

use by date shown on the label. Even if it looks and smells fine, food after this date

could put your customers health at risk and cause food poisoning. It is illegal to sell food

after its use by date.

You will usually find a use by date on food that goes off quickly, such as milk, soft

cheese, ready-prepared salads, cooked meats and smoked fish. It is also important to

follow any storage instructions given on food labels, otherwise the food might not last

until the use by date. Usually food with a use by date needs to be kept in the fridge.

Use by


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Date codes what they mean

Best before dates are usually used on foods that last longer, such as frozen, dried or

canned foods. It should be safe to eat food after the best before date, but the food

will no longer be at its best.

After this date, the food might begin to lose its flavour and texture and ideally should

be removed from sale.

Some products, such as bread, carry a different style of best before date, e.g. bestbefore 20 December (2). The number in brackets is how many days before the best

before date the manufacturer recommends it should be sold. So, in this example,

that would be by the end of 18 December.

Eggs are an exception they must be sold at least seven days before the best before

date. It is illegal to sell eggs after this.

Best before

Sometimes products also have a display until or sell by date. These are dates

recommended by the manufacturer. But it is not illegal to sell food after these

dates, as long as the food is within its use by date.

Display until andSell by

RMAN4/02-08

Manage it

Regularly rotate stock and throw away any food that has

passed its use by date or is clearly unfit to eat

e.g. mouldy. Check use by dates every day as part

of your closing checks.

Put product with the earlier dates at the front of

displays, so that older stock is sold first. This helps

to avoid waste.

Train your staff in stock control and make sure they

know in what order to display foods and where to

put food if it is removed from sale.

Check regularly that stock control is being carried

out effectively.

Record stock checks in the diary.

If you have lots of products in stock that are close

to their use by date, consider reducing the price

to sell more before the date. This means you

will have to throw away fewer products.

Throw away eggs seven days before the

best before date.


If you find that food that has passed its use by

date has not been thrown away, throw it away

immediately or place in a special area if being

returned to a supplier.

If you do not think that a food delivery has been

handled safely, reject the delivery if possible.

Do not put the food on sale. Contact your

supplier immediately.

Review your ordering process.

Review your stock rotation system.

Review your agreement with your supplier.



Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

DiaryDia

ry


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How?What to do

Safe method:

Training and supervisionIt is essential to train and supervise your staff

effectively to make sure they handle food safely.

Once you have worked through them, use the safe

methods in this pack to train staff. You need to

be sure that each member of staff knows the safe

methods for all the tasks they do.

Make sure you know what training each member

of staff has received.

Watch the member of staff when they are carrying

out a task as part of their work.

When a member of staff has completed a task, ask

them about how they followed the method, to help

you find out if they did it correctly.

Show the member of staff what to do, question them

carefully on their knowledge and then ask them to

show you to confirm they understand fully.

Make a note on the Staff training record in the diary

every time you train a member of staff.

Make comments and observations to help the member

of staff improve the way they work.

Reward good performance by giving positive feedback

when the member of staff has followed the safe

method successfully.

If the safe method is not being followed by the member

of staff, tell them how they are going wrong and why it

is important to follow the safe method.

You should train your staff in all the safe methods that are relevant to the job they do. There are somesafe methods that all staff need to cover on their first day. You should also supervise them to checkthey are following the safe methods properly.

Whoever signs the diary is confirming that they have supervised all the staff involved in handling foodthat day. This means making sure that your staff follow your safe methods and that any problems arebeing solved and recorded in the diary.


If staff are not following a safe method properly, train

them again and make sure they understand why it is

important to follow the method.

Use the 4-weekly review in the diary to identify any

problems with how staff are following safe methods

and plan your training to address these. Remember to

include new staff.


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Solve the problem. Review the relevant safe methods. You may need to

change how you do things. Note any changes in the

diary. If it is a complaint about a food product, you

may need to inform other people see the Product

withdrawal and recall safe method.

Safe method:

Customers feedbackCustomer feedback is a good indication of how

well you are managing your business.

RMAN5/02-08

What to do How?

Listen to complaints.

Find the source of the problem.

Train staff on how to deal with customers.

Listen to any complaints carefully and write down the

details. These could point out a problem in your

business, with a supplier, or with an individual product.

Work out how the problem arose. This is especially

important if it is a problem affecting food safety. If a

customer complains of being made ill by food you sell

you should investigate carefully.

It is important that staff know how to respond to

customer feedback and what action to take.

Keeping your customers happy and protecting their health with good food hygiene is essential to thesuccess of your business. So it is very important to pay attention to any complaints.



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If you sell unwrapped foods or foods you wrap

yourself, you need to take extra care to be aware

of what ingredients they contain.

Keep a copy of the ingredient information for any foods

that you sell unwrapped or wrap yourself. If a food

contains one of the ingredients listed below, try tomention it in the description of the food, e.g. chocolate

and almondcroissant.

When handling unwrapped foods, make sure counter

tops and equipment have been thoroughly cleaned first.

Make sure staff wash their hands thoroughly before

starting the task.

If you have a self-service area, make sure separate

containers and utensils are used for different foods and

they are never mixed up. If unwrapped foods contain

one of the ingredients listed below, keep them separatefrom other foods, e.g. keep bread rolls with sesame

seeds away from plain rolls.

Why?Safety point

If someone asks if a pre-packed food contains a certain

ingredient, show them the ingredients list and any

warnings on the label. Never guess.

Some foods can contain ingredients that you might not

expect them to contain. It is very important for people

with a severe food allergy to check the label on all

pre-packed foods.

You can find out more about allergies, at

food.gov.uk/safereating/allergyintol/guide/

Unwrapped food

Pre-packed food

If someone has a severe allergy, they can react to even

a tiny amount of the food they are sensitive to. So it is

very important for them to know exactly what is in

a food.

This is so you and your staff can check the ingredients if

asked by a customer. Clear descriptions help people

with food allergies to spot foods that are not suitablefor them to eat.

This is to prevent small amounts of the food that a

person is allergic to from getting onto another food

accidentally.

Safe method:

Customers food allergiesIt is important to know what to do if you serve a customerwho says they have a food allergy, because these allergiescan be life-threatening.

These are some of the foods that people can be allergic to:

Type of food What to look out for

Peanuts

Nuts

Peanuts, also called groundnuts, are found in many foods, includingsauces, cakes and desserts.

People with nut allergy can react to many types of nut, including

walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews and pecans. Nuts

are found in many foods, including sauces, desserts, bread, marzipan

and ice cream.


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Type of food What to look out for

Lupin

Milk

Eggs

Fish

Shellfish

Soya

Gluten

Sesame

seeds

Celery

Mustard

Sulphur

dioxide

Flour or seeds from the lupin plant are used in some bread, pastries, pies,

waffles, pancakes, battered products and doughnuts.

People with milk allergy need to avoid foods containing milk, yoghurt, cream,

cheese, butter and other milk products. Watch out for products glazed withmilk and ready-made products containing milk powder.

Eggs are used in many foods including cakes, mousses, sauces, mayonnaise,

pasta and quiche. Sometimes egg is used to bind meat products, such as

burgers.

Some types of fish, especially anchovies, are used in salad dressings, sauces,

relishes and on pizzas.

People who are allergic to shellfish often need to avoid all types, including

scampi, prawns, mussels, oysters, cockles, scallops, crab and squid. When you

are checking food labels, look out for the words shellfish, crustaceans and

molluscs, as well as the names of the individual types of shellfish.

Soya comes in different forms, for example, tofu (or beancurd), soya flour and

textured soya protein. It is found in many foods, including ice cream, sauces,

desserts, meat products and vegetarian products such as veggie burgers.

People who have gluten intolerance (also called coeliac disease) need to avoid

cereals such as wheat, rye and barley and foods made from these. Wheat flour

is used in many foods such as bread, pasta, cakes, pastry and meat products.

Sesame seeds are often used on bread and breadsticks. (Be careful because the

seeds can fall off and get into other foods.) Tahini (sesame paste) is also used in

a number of foods, such as houmous.

People who are allergic to celery can react to celeriac (the root of the plant),

celery stalks and leaves. Celeriac and celery are sometimes used in salads andsoups, or served as a vegetable. Watch out for celery salt and celery seeds,

which are used as a seasoning in lots of foods, such as soups and meat products.

People who are allergic to mustard will react to any food that comes from the

mustard plant, including liquid mustard, mustard powder, the leaves, seeds and

flowers, sprouted mustard seeds and mustard oil. Mustard is sometimes used in

salad dressings, marinades, soups, sauces, curries and meat products.

Some people with asthma can react to sulphur dioxide. This is used as a preservative

in a wide range of foods, particularly meat products such as sausages, and driedfruit and vegetables. Sulphur dioxide is also found in wine and beer.

RMAN6/11-09


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Safe method

Cross-contamination

Good housekeeping

Pest control

Cleaning

Personal hygiene

Cleaning effectively

Your cleaning schedule

Chilling

Chilled storage and display

Frozen storage and display

Management

Opening and closing checks

Extra checks

Prove it chilled and frozen storage

Suppliers and contractors

Product withdrawal and recall

Signature

Safe method completion record

To complete the pack, work through each section and complete all the safe methods that are relevant to your

business. Most small retailers will need to fill in all the methods in the Cross-contamination, Cleaning, Chilling and

Management sections. Businesses that do some food preparation or cooking will also need to work through the

Cooking and preparation section.

It does not matter in what order you complete the safe methods. Fill out this record to show that you have

worked through and completed the pack. Make sure you train your staff on all the safe methods that are

relevant to the work they do and make a note on the Staff training record in the diary.

Date Safe method notrelevant to mybusiness tick

(Management continued overleaf)


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Safe method

Management (continued)

Stock control

Training and supervision

Customers feedback

Customers food allergies


Preparation ready-to-eat foods

Bake off products, reheating andhot holding

Raw meat, poultry and eggs

Cooking safely bacon, sausages and eggs

Cooking safely rotisserie chicken and ham

Prove it cooking

Signature

RMAN7/02-08

Date Safe method notrelevant to mybusiness tick


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RCK1/02-08

Cooking and preparationIt is essential to take care when cooking and preparing

food, to make sure it is safe to eat.

If you prepare ready-to-eat foods, such as sandwiches or

salads, it is very important to handle them safely and

protect them from harmful bacteria. This is because they

will not be cooked or reheated before selling.

If you cook food, remember that food needs to be cooked

properly to kill any harmful bacteria. If it is not cooked

properly, it might not be safe for your customers to eat.

This section includes information on different types of

cooking and preparation.


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Cooking and preparation how to use this section

Welcome to the Cooking and preparation section

Who is this section for?

What if I do more preparation or cooking?

This section is for small retailers that do one or more of the

following things:

preparing ready-to-eat foods, such as sandwiches

baking off bought-in products such as sausage rolls

and pasties

reheating and hot holding food, e.g. reheating bought-in

cooked pies

cooking bacon, sausages or eggs

cooking rotisserie chicken and/or ham

If you are not sure if this section is suitable for your business,

contact the environmental health service at your local

authority.

If you do any food preparation or cooking that is not coveredin this section, contact the environmental health service at

your local authority for advice.

RCPH/02-08


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Safe method:

Preparation ready-to-eat foodsIt is important to handle unwrapped ready-to-eat foods

safely to protect them from harmful bacteria.


It is particularly important to

handle unwrapped ready-to-eat

foods safely. To do this:

make sure work surfaces, knives

etc. are clean (and disinfected

if you have prepared raw

meat/poultry)

protect food from dirt

and bacteria, by covering

it or keeping it in suitable

display equipment


instructions on how to store

and prepare the food, if these

are available.

Make sure you keep ready-to-eat

foods cold enough. See the Chilled

storage and display safe method in

the Chilling section.

How you handle ready-to-eat

foods is particularly important

because they will not be cooked

or reheated before selling.

The manufacturers instructions are

designed to keep the food safe.

If these types of food are not kept

cold enough, harmful bacteria

could grow.

List the types of unwrapped

ready-to-eat food you prepare

and sell:

Are you confident that you do this

for all ready-to-eat foods where

instructions are available? Yes

Do you do this? Yes


What are ready-to-eat foods?

Ready-to-eat foods are foods that will not be cooked or reheated before they are eaten. These include

sandwiches and salads that you make, cooked meats such as ham, cheese, cream cakes and desserts.


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How to stop this happening againWhat to do if things go wrong If you think that a food delivery has not been

handled safely, reject the delivery.

If ready-to-eat food has been prepared using a

work surface or knife that has been used for raw

meat/poultry, throw the food away.

If ready-to-eat food has not been chilled safely, throw

the food away.

If salad ingredients have not been washed properly,

wash them following the advice in this safe method.

If you do not think a supplier handles food safely,

consider changing to a new supplier.

Review the way you receive deliveries.

Review the way you store and prepare ready-to-eat

foods.




Dont use or sell ready-to-eat

foods after the use by date, if

there is one.

For sandwiches and other food you

have prepared, and for food you

have removed from its originalpackaging, it is a good idea to have

a method of labelling to keep track

of when food should be sold or

thrown away.

If you slice cooked meat:

make sure you follow the

manufacturers instructions when

you clean the slicer

avoid handling the meat as muchas possible. It is a good idea to

slice meat straight onto the

display tray or the plastic film

or paper you will use to wrap it.

Use clean tongs, instead of hands.

When preparing salad ingredients:

peel, trim, or remove the outer

parts, as appropriate

wash them thoroughly in cleandrinking-quality water

If you have prepared salad

ingredients that have dirt or soil on

the outside, clean chopping boards

and work surfaces before preparing

other foods.

You should never use food that has

passed its use by date because it

might not be safe to eat. It is illegal

to sell food after its use by date.

Meat slicers need careful cleaning

and disinfecting to prevent dirt

building up and to stop harmful

bacteria growing, in particular on

the slicing blade.

Hands can easily spread harmful

bacteria onto food.

The dirt on salad ingredients can

contain harmful bacteria. Peeling

and washing helps to remove

the dirt.

Are staff trained how to clean the

meat slicer properly, or supervised?

Yes No

Do you do this? Yes



RCP4/02-08


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Safe method:

Bake off products, reheatingand hot holdingIt is very important to bake off or reheat products properly, andkeep them hot until they are sold, to prevent bacteria from growing.

Why?Safety point

Make sure you use suitable equipment

for baking off, reheating and hot

holding. Follow the equipment

manufacturers instructions.

Preheat equipment before you put

any food in it.

Follow the product manufacturers

instructions on times and

temperatures for cooking, reheating

and standing.

If you provide a microwave for

customers to reheat food, it is a good

idea to supply instructions.

Sell bake-off products or reheated

food immediately, unless they are

going straight into hot holding or

are intended to be sold cold, e.g.

bread rolls.

Products should be thoroughly

cooked and piping hot before hot

holding begins.

If equipment is not suitable for baking off, reheating or hot holding, the

food might not get hot enough to kill bacteria, or it might not be kept

at a safe temperature.

Do you hot hold? Yes No If yes, what equipment do you use?

Food will take longer to bake off or reheat if you use equipment before

it has preheated. This means that the manufacturers recommended times

might not be long enough.

Putting food into cold hot-holding equipment means it might not be

kept hot enough to stop harmful bacteria growing.

The manufacturer has tested these to make sure that products will be

properly cooked/reheated. Standing times are part of the process of

cooking/reheating in a microwave and help make sure the food is the

same temperature all the way through, with no cold spots.

If food is not sold immediately, the temperature will drop and harmful

bacteria could grow.

Hot-holding equipment is used for keeping food hot. It should not be

used to cook or reheat food. Hot food should be transferred straight

from the oven to the hot-holding equipment.

Bake off Hot holding


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If a product you are reheating is not hot enough and

the equipment seems to be working, reheat the

product for longer and then test it again.

If a product in hot holding is not hot enough:

reheat it until it is piping hot and put back into

hot holding (you should only do this once)

or chill down the food safely and reheat it later

before selling

If you cannot do either of these things, throw the

food away.

Check your equipment is working correctly.

Review your method. You may need to increase

the time and/or temperature or use different

equipment.



Check it

It is important that the products you sell are

properly baked off or reheated and for you

to show how you check this. Check that food

is piping hot (steaming) all the way through

from the moment it is baked off or reheated

to the moment it is sold.

You could also use a temperature probe to check that products are properly cooked or reheated.

See the Prove it cooking safe method for advice on using probes. List the products you check with a probe:

If you do not use one of the checks above, what do you do?


RCP3/02-08

Chilling down food

If you chill down food, for example food in hot holding that has not been sold, remember to chill it down safely.

Cover the food and move it to a colder area. Try to chill food down as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge.

Think twice!

Remember, reheating means cooking again, not just warming up. Always reheat food until it is piping hot all the

way through (in Scotland there is a legal requirement for reheated foods to reach at least 82C). Do not put food

into hot holding without reheating it properly first.

Food in hot holding must be kept above 63C, except for certain exceptions. See the Prove it cooking

safe method.


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Safe method:

Raw meat, poultry and eggsIf you cook raw meat/poultry or eggs, it is very important to

handle these carefully because they contain harmful bacteria.


Ideally, store raw meat/poultry in a

separate fridge. If this is not

possible, store raw meat/poultry

below ready-to-eat foods.

Do not use or sell eggs after the

best before date.

Store eggs in a cool, dry place,

ideally in the fridge and keep

them apart from other foods.

When handling raw meat/poultry

or eggs, it is a good idea for staff

to put on a clean or disposable

apron, tabard or something similar

over their work clothes.

This helps to prevent harmful

bacteria spreading from raw foods

to ready-to-eat foods.

After the best before date, there is a

greater chance of harmful bacteria

growing in the eggs.

Aprons can be removed easily

for washing, or thrown away if

disposable. They help to stop

bacteria getting onto work clothes

and spreading to other foods.

Do you store raw meat/poultry?

Yes No

List the types of raw meat/poultry

that you st

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